Flight of Nightingales
by Flowers For No One
Summary: Christine Daae is taken in by the Giry family after the death of her father. Now, she is a college freshman who wants nothing more than to live a simple life. But destinies collide when Antoinette Giry decides to defy a dark and terrifying man. He targets Christine in retaliation...and it's up to Meg to help her. Dark Modern.
1. Chapter 1: Far Too Late

Chapter 1: Far Too Late

A lone girl sits in her room.

In her hands is a small doll with blonde yarn hair and button blue eyes. Little Lotte, as the girl would call the doll, wore a frock that was colored by the sea.

The girl continued to sit on the bed and play with Little Lotte as the rain started to fall outside of her window. The pellets of water made small tapping noises against the glass, as if asking to be let in. The child took no notice of this. She simply kept playing with her companion.

She was trapped in her own little world.

To anyone else witnessing this scene, they might find it to be a picture of normalcy, but a feeling of unease might pervade their mind. Perhaps it was the sheer hollowness in the girl's eyes that is unnerving. Maybe it was how the room was trapped in utter darkness as sounds of a thunderstorm slithered in that was unsettling.

But the most probable reason might come from the subconscious.

Although the room was grande and adorned with many beautiful ornaments, it still had the atmosphere of a cage.

It was a gilded prison of sorts.

Cold iron bars could be found clinging to the windows. The doors themselves seemed to be covered in numerous locks.

If one could see through objects, they might find that the walls had hidden weapons inside. Perhaps he or she could even come to the knowledge that some of the stuffed toys scattered throughout the room contained some rather hard materials. Such as a hidden camera or a targeting device.

It was an elaborate chamber created by a madman.

Suddenly, a sound other than the beatings of the rain could be heard.

A loud wailing siren.

The startled child dropped her companion on the bed. She covered her ears with her hands and started to rock back and forth.

Pounding came right outside the window. A moment later, a small explosion occurred. Glass and debris flew everywhere. Rain entered the room.

Through the opening from which the window used to reside, a handsome man with blonde hair came through carrying a handgun. His blue eyes were frantically searching for something until they landed on the frightened girl. They softened and he walked towards her.

"Christine! We have come here to sa-" the man was almost finished with his sentence when a bullet abruptly pierced him. The weapons were activated.

The young boy clutched at his left arm as the blood started to spread on his white shirt. More bullets came and the boy crouched down before anymore could hit him. An older man with dark skin swiftly entered, shot at the devices, and quickly dragged both people out. The girl was in a dazed state.

Outside, the Persian started cursing.

"Damn it! You fucking fool! I told you not to go in!" the Persian continued to give the young man a variety of colorful names as he tried his best to bandaged the wound. The young ballerina next to him hugged the shattered woman.

"Oh, Christine! I thought I would never see you again!" Tears started falling from the blonde woman's eyes. The brunette continued to stare blankly at the ballerina.

"Who are you?" the shattered girl asked in a dull voice. The young ballerina stiffened and stepped back. Horror slowly etched into her face.

"It's me! Meg Giry! Your..." the blonde woman said with increasing hopelessness as she saw no trace of recognition in Christine's eyes. Meg looked back at the Persian. "She doesn't seem to recognize us..."

A grim expression appeared on the man's face.

"It appears that Erik has erased her memories. He might have brainwashed her."

The young man heard the conversation and became even more distressed.

"What?! The shit bag did what?!" the man yelled. The shouting seemed to have snapped the fragile girl from her daze. She looked around frantically.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no! I can't be out here! The Angel of Music said there are bad things outside!" the brunette sobbed. All three stared at her. Meg grabbed her arm.

"Christine! That man is not the Angel of Music. Erik deceived you!" fury seeped into her voice as she thought of how horribly this phantom manipulated her dearest friend.

The brunette simply shook her head.

"No, the Angel is the only one I can trust! I disobeyed him once before an-and ev-everybody tried to hurt me." her voice broke as the terrible memories resurfaced. "I have to stay with with him."

The three looked at each other in horror as they contemplated what Erik might have done to make Christine cling to him so tightly.

The Persian sighed. Looking at this poor woman now, he wondered how he could have ever thought that saving the phantom would be the right thing to do. Whatever happens next, he must make up for what he has done. Even if it means his life.

"What should we do now?" Raoul asked. Nadir simply gave him a glance.

"We have to go quickly now. The alarms have been set off. Erik's guards will be coming after us soon."

Meg clutched Christine's hand. Raoul looked at his childhood sweetheart with compassion.

"Christine, don't worry. Everything is going to be fine now. That man will never get near you again." he said in an earnest voice. Although he meant to comfort her, he did the opposite instead.

The young girl's eyes widened at Chagny's words and she started to struggle.

"No! No, I can't leave! The Angel will get-" the Persian interrupted her.

"Miss Daaé, you have no need to worry. The Angel of Music sent us." Christine stiffened.

She looked at him with suspicious eyes.

"You were trying to deny his existence earlier."

The Persian gave her a gentle smile.

"We did not deny his existence, we merely said that Erik is not him."

"But Erik is the An-"

"No, the real Angel of Music has sent us to warn and protect you from the fake. Erik is a demon who is trying to destroy you. Think about it. He has gotten angry, hateful, and jealous before, has he not?

Christine clenched her hands and looked away. Nadir got his answer and continued.

"So, he has. Surely that is not the emotions an angel would have? And that face. You have seen Erik's face, correct? Only those who have committed terrible crimes against God would look like that." Nadir smoothly explained.

Christine froze at the mention of his appearance. A multitude of expressions flitted across her face. Horror. Despair. Guilt. The Persian paused for a moment.

"So then, Miss Daaé, will you come with us?"

The young woman glanced down and then resignedly nodded. Meg watched her with concern. Nadir cleared his throat.

"Now then, let's leave."

The four ran quickly as rain pounded upon them without mercy. The wailing sirens continued as they made way through the elaborate metal maze that the madman created for his palace. As they reached another tunnel, the guards started to close in...

"Shit!" the Persian rasped as people in black uniforms appeared around them. Each one wore a golden symbol of a magpie in flight on their sleeves. Meg kept a tight grip on Christine. All of them had their guns out, but none of them were shooting. It was most likely in fear of damaging their Master's little princess.

Nadir looked at the terrified girl and the determined ballerina. A decision had to be made. He stood close to Meg and put a pistol into her purse. The Persian whispered in to her ear.

"You continue on. Raoul and I will distract them." Meg saw his grim expression and nodded. She ran into the tunnel, dragging Christine behind her.

Raoul and Nadir glanced at each other for a moment before taking out their guns. They started shooting.

* * *

_I won't fail you this time._

Meg continued to tug Christine with her through the darkness of the tunnels. She only slowed down when she heard the girl whimpering. Meg turned around and grabbed Christine's shoulders.

"What is wrong?" Although Meg could not see Christine clearly in the shadows, she could tell that something was bothering her.

The brunette spoke in a small, childish voice.

"I-I'm so afraid. I don't know if I am doing the right thing! What is going to happen to us? Ang- Erik might do something..." Christine drifted off and shivered.

Meg observed the frail creature before her and felt her heart clench.

_Oh, what has that phantom done to you?_

The human standing before her was nothing more than a shell. Images of how this pitiful girl used to be bright, cheerful, and strong flickered before her eyes.

Meg Giry never thought of herself as a violent person, but in that moment, there was nothing she would rather do other than strangle that bastard with her own Punjab lasso.

She looked at the small woman with fierce protectiveness.

"Don't be scared. I will always protec-" Meg abruptly stopped.

Someone was in the tunnel with them.

Her eyes widened as she heard the extra footsteps and quickly yanked Christine with her.

The echoing footsteps continued to follow them as they made way through the tunnel. As they reached towards the end, however, shock and fear encased Meg's heart.

_This wasn't in the blueprints!_

Before the two girls were ten different pathways. The footsteps were nearing their location.

The ballerina, in a fit of panic, simply choose the one closest to them.

It was the wrong choice.

Meg silently cursed as they met with a dead end. This place must have been a storage area. There were tents, sofas, chairs, and desks scattered everywhere. Now they will have to go back and-

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

The being had followed them into the pathway. There was no escape.

The blonde haired woman looked around frantically for a place to hide.

Her eyes landed upon a pile of cushions. She shoved Christine under the pile and quickly followed her. The person was here.

Footsteps slowed as a beautiful voice echoed throughout the tunnel.

"Christine, my dear, where are you?" the man called out, his voice was infused with a hypnotic melody. The young brunette beside her stiffened.

"Please come back to me. Erik loves his darling Christine. He would never deny her anything, not like what the _world_ has done." He slowly moved about, checking under the desks and behind the sofas. "Christine _**needs**_ her Erik's protection."

Meg still could not comprehend how her mother ever thought working for this man would be a good idea. The man was clearly insane.

Meg felt Christine shift again. The ballerina looked at her. The girl's eyes were hazing over, going back into that little world the masked man created for her.

Giry held on to the brunette tightly.

The man abruptly stopped near the pile of cushions. Meg could not breathe.

"My love, we both know you belong to me. You are mine, Christine. I will never let you go. And yet you still resist...or perhaps someone else is." the madman drifted off.

Meg frowned. For several minutes, there was only silence to keep the two company. No footsteps could be heard.

Suddenly, she felt Christine get ripped from her grasp. The cushions scattered about. Her blue eyes met furious amber ones.

Erik circled his arms around Christine's waist, her back was to his chest.

"Ah, so little Meg Giry was the one trying to snatch my nightingale away." he spoke as arrogance dripped from his tone."Try as you might, not even _you_ can break our bond."

Pure hatred suffocated her mind.

"She is not yours, you manipulative asshole! Don't you think for even a moment that you have claim over her." Meg started to walk towards him. She took a glance at Christine and the brunette gazed back with frightened eyes.

The girl tried to wriggle her way out of Erik's grasp.

"Angel, please don't!"

"Shhh. Shhhh. Calm down my dear." Erik cooed as he hugged her. His mouth brushed her hair and then descended next to her ear.

Everything became still.

A divine, yet wordless melody came spilling from his lips. Christine felt her mind slowly go back to the sweet abyss and even Meg became enraptured by the music. She finally understood how Christine could be tricked by this monster now.

_An angel's voice trapped in a demon's body._

"Rest for now, my Christine."

With the end of his song Meg was snapped out from the trance. Meg cursed herself. How could she let that happen?!

Erik picked up his love tenderly as she fell asleep in his arms. A warm smile graced his lips and he gazed at the sleeping angel. Adoration was apparent in his eyes.

Meg felt sick to her stomach as she saw the scene play out. If one didn't know any better, they would assume it was a picture of an affectionate couple.

No, she will not let him win.

"You don't love her." Meg whispered. The masked man looked up. "What you think is love is nothing more than an obsession. You only want her as a puppet that you can use to amuse yourself." Her voice grew stronger as she spoke.

Erik glowered at her. His amber eyes blazing brightly in the shadows.

"You should be more wary of who you are speaking to, little one. Do not simply assume that I will not do anything to you because of my connection to your mother."

Meg spat at his feet.

"Really? I'd like to see you try, you ugly bastard."

A strange electricity filled the air as Giry looked into Erik's hellish eyes.

Pure fury radiated from his being...and then flickered out like a candle.

Something was echoing in the distance, but the ballerina was to focused on the masked man to notice.

Erik turned his head to listen. After a moment, his chilling gold eyes slid back to the blonde girl and he smiled darkly. Tension filled the air.

He turned away with his beloved in his arms.

Confusion clouded Meg's mind, but she quickly made a decision. The ballerina whipped out her pistol.

"Freeze!"

She flinched as she saw eight of Erik's guards stealthily made their way towards her, giving a slight nod when they passed their master.

No! _What happened to Raoul and Nadir?_

The young woman narrowed her eyes as the countdown began. If this was her last stand, she will get the parting blow. Meg shot.

...And the bullet grazed his shoulder as four of the guards tackled her down. The other four kept their guns trained on her.

_Fuck!_

Meg was pinned to the ground with her cheek touching the frozen concrete floor. She watched as Erik seethed in pain, but continued to carry Christine away...

One of the guards put handcuffed her and forced her to stand up. Thoughts raced through her mind as the eight guards dragged her along.

Damn it! How could this all gone so wrong? Just a couple months ago she and Christine were simple college students. If only she knew back then...

_But now it was far too late._

Like a video tape, her memories slowly began to rewind.

_Nadir going over the blueprints._

_Panicking with Raoul as Christine was taken by the night._

_Her mother warning her of a terrifying man. _

_Comforting Christine as the darkness closed in on her. _

One by one the slides continued to play until they reached the very beginning.

The first day of school.


	2. Chapter 2: The Simple Life

Chapter 2: The Simple Life

_Hello and good morning! Welcome to HBS News, where we are always moving towards to the future. This is John and I'm Diana._

_A lot of mystery is in the air today. Corvidae has been focusing their resources on a brand new project and everyone is curious as to what it is. The company has been strangely silent. What does that mean? Could they be creating another product that will revolutionize the industry? Or does it spell out the death of Corvidae? Here we go to Allison for more info._

_Thank you Diana. David Hoffman, head of Corvidae, has-_

Meg quickly shut off the television while the new woman was speaking.

Christine curiously glanced at her.

"Is something the matter, Meg?"

The ballerina sighed.

"No, I am just sick of hearing about my mom's company all the time. God, it is already terrible enough that _she_ is obsessed with her work, but now everyone else is too."

Christine patted her back sympathetically.

"Well, at least you don't have to hear it from her anymore. We are college girls now." she gestured around their shared room as she spoke.

Meg smiled.

"Yeah. Time has passed by so fast. I still can't believe that we are here!"

"I know right? It was miracle that you graduated high school." Christine teased.

Meg threw a pillow at her.

"Oh, shut up. You know what I mean."

Christine caught the pillow and laughed.

"Joking aside, I am so glad we will never go back to that place. Everyone was an asshole," the brunette declared.

Meg raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Of course you are the exception. You are one of the most important people to me, Meg." Christine truthfully answered.

The ballerina blushed.

"You are important to me too." she stammered and coughed. "Um, we should probably move some more things in before it gets too late."

Christine grinned and agreed. Together with her best friend, they moved the rest of their belongings into the room.

* * *

Antoinette Giry sighed as she watched the two girls put away their things.

_They grow up so fast._

Like all parents who watched their children leave their side for the real world, Antoinette felt a deep sense of sadness mixed with pride. Her daughter and the girl she adopted were now adults.

She smiled fondly.

Antoinette had no doubt that her daughter will have a bright future in front of her. Meg was a great dancer and she loved her art with a passion. Even if things went sour, Antoinette had more than enough money to help Meg with whatever path she will choose.

She grimaced a bit as she thought of her other one.

Her fate is more questionable. The girl that Meg had befriended years ago was still stuck in the past. She clung onto others very tightly. Christine needed to become more independent and not revolve her world around others so much.

_Otherwise, a tragedy might occur._

Antoinette was shaken out of her reverie when her cellphone vibrated. She took out the phone and looked at the message.

Erik wanted to see her.

* * *

_"But where could I find this nightingale?" asked Little Lotte._

_Her papa gently smiled as he sat on his rocking chair._

_"Why, my dear, he will come to those who are blessed with music." he replied to his precious girl. "He will come to those who will work hard for their talents."_

_Little Lotte's eyes glittered with determination._

_"Then I will do whatever it takes to meet him. To meet the Angel of Music."_

_After-_

"Hey Christine, what are you doing?"

The brunette tore her eyes away from her laptop.

"I am typing."

Meg looked over her shoulder.

"Ah, is that the children's story you were working on?"

Christine nodded as she tried to remember what she wanted to add.

The two girls finished moving two hours ago and are now resting. Meg tugged on her arm.

"Come on, Christine! We only have one day left before school starts. Let's go out or something. Maybe socialize with the other students."

The brunette frowned.

"I'd rather not meet the other students right now. Can it be just us two? We can explore the city."

Meg looked at her contemplatively and sighed.

"Okay, fine. But you have to promise me that you will at least try to be more social when the school year starts."

Christine nodded her head.

"Alright, I promise."

She saved her document and they went out.

* * *

Darkness covered the room as the sounds of a lone violin echoed against the walls.

The intoxicating melody swirled about. It almost sent Antoinette into a trance as she stood right outside of the room.

Giry squinted her eyes. She could only see the bare outlines of the violin's master. His haunting white mask floated in the shadows.

Antoinette waited until the piece was over before she spoke.

"Erik, I heard that you wished to see me?"

The man began to polish his instrument.

"Yes, we need to speak about your most recent mission."

Inwardly, Giry cringed. About two months ago he had sent her to have a "talk" with Richard Firmin and Andre Moncharmin. Needless to say, some unfortunate events occurred.

"Everything I could say is on the reports."

The masked man simply gazed at her with his cold amber eyes.

"Are they now? As I was reading them, I noticed there were some _discrepancies_ in said reports. Those two fools did not heed your warnings, correct?"

"Yes."

"Yet, why did you continually warn them when you could have simply have them killed? Buquet may be new, but he should have been enough to do the job."

"I eventually did."

"That was after a month. Why did you stay around for so long? Did you learn of something else?"

Antoinette could feel her heart pounding rapidly. She struggled to keep her face as a mask of cool indifference. One mistake, and Erik could find out about everything.

"No, I simply did not want people killed unless there are no other possibilities." she explained.

He narrowed his golden eyes at her. Silence devoured the room as minutes passed. She held his gaze with confidence, though her emotions were quite the opposite.

He broke the silence with a dark chuckle.

Antoinette could feel her skin crawl at the sound.

"Very well, then. I will let you off for _now_. Go enjoy your first day of having no children to take care of. Until later, Madame Giry."

He dismissed her and she almost let out a sigh of relief as she left the corporate building.

* * *

"That club looks amazing! I know where I'll be spending my free time in." Meg chattered as she gestured towards the place.

Christine looked over to where she pointed and read the sign. _The Rooftop_. What an odd name for a club. Still, it did look like it would be a fun place to hang out, if she was into those sort of things.

As they walked down the street Meg continued to talk non-stop about their future college life. Christine made comments here and there and teased her several times about her enthusiasm.

Towards the end of the street, Meg stopped and looked at Christine.

"Oh, Christine. I'm so happy you are here! I was really worried that we wouldn't be friends after high school."

"Don't be silly. We would never fall out of contact. Even if I did not get into Leroux University, I'd probably apply to another one nearby."

_I don't have a place I can go after all. Nobody else would ever care about me._

Meg frowned at her answer.

"Christine, although I do love that we are here together, I would much rather have you choose your school based on what you want for your future. You didn't come here just because of me, did you?"

The brunette hesitated for a moment before she carefully selected her answer.

"Well, you may have been an influencing factor, but you are not the only reason I am here. I also came here because of the school's decent literary and art programs."

Meg relaxed.

"Okay, that's fine then."

They continued on with their easy conversations as the night wore on. As they headed back to their room, Christine felt content.

She didn't want riches, fame, or even an unlimited amount of friends. All she wanted was the simple life.

* * *

**Author's Edit: Hello! Thank you for reading thus far. Please review if you can.**** Although I have already written up to chapter four at this point, I thought this would be a good place to state where I am going to go with this story. Erik and Christine will not be meeting each until later. Probably seven or eight chapters in. The reason for this is because I want to build up the relationship between Christine and Meg first. Now, that does not mean Erik will not be showing up at all until then. While I am building up their relationship, I will also be building up other characters too. **


	3. Chapter 3: Remember

Chapter Three: Remember

Christine stood outside of the locker room as she waited for Meg to come out. A month has passed since school started. So far, everything has been fine. She liked the majority of her classes and she got to sleep in.

The brunette hasn't made any new friends though. Meg has been nagging her about that. It wasn't like she didn't try to be social. Christine was just terrible at talking to strangers. She was very shy and tended to stutter a lot around them.

Christine sighed and looked at her watch. Where was she? After several more minutes, the ballerina came out with two other dance majors. Christine cringed.

_Meg's new friends._

She honestly didn't know how to deal with them. Meg has always been far more popular than Christine ever was. What if they don't like her and try to convince Meg to ditch the loser? It wouldn't be the first time it happened.

And, in a true Christine fashion, she tried to run away from her problems instead of facing them. The brunette attempted to leave before the others could spot her.

"Hey, Christine! This is Jammes and Sorelli."

Damn it, she was too slow. Christine meekly shook their hands. "Hello. I'm Christine."

Jammes raised an eyebrow. "No need to be afraid, we don't bite." she said.

The other dancer laughed and smiled at Christine.

"Hi Christine. I am so happy to meet you. Meg has told us so much! You are double majoring in art and English, right?" Sorelli asked.

Christine nodded timidly.

"Y-yes. I have something I want to do in the future."

Meg piped up. "She wants to write and illustrate children books."

"Meg!" Christine admonished. The ballerina grinned back sheepishly.

"Ah, so you can speak up!" Jammes commented. Sorelli jabbed her in the ribs.

"Ow!"

"Stop being rude." she whispered and looked back at the shy girl before her. "Really? That sounds nice. Are you working on one right now?"

Christine shuffled uncomfortably. She didn't want to go into any details on her biggest project...

"Not at the moment. I do have several other story ideas that I plan on publishing. I just want to develop my skills some more before I work on them."

Meg frowned.

"What about the one that you have been working on since high school?"

Christine glared at her. "I have no intentions of publishing it."

Jammes glanced at her quizzically. "Why not?"

Christine stiffened. "It's personal." was her only reply.

Jammes looked like she wanted to ask more, but the brunette simply ignored her.

After all, why _should_ she answer her? The dancer had no right inquiring into her business. That story was a part of Christine. It was the last thing she had of her father. It was _very_ personal. She wasn't even sure if she ever could let anyone else read the entire thing. Only Meg knew anything about it, and she only knew parts of it.

Speaking of the ballerina, Meg decided to use the sudden silence to execute her plan.

"So, now that we all know each other, why don't we all go to The Rooftop together? I know they have awesome music and a nice dance floor." the ballerina pleaded.

Christine was jolted by the sudden proposal.

_What? No!_

"Bu-but, I don't really lik-"

"Please? It would mean the world to me if _all_ of my friends could go with me." Meg watched her with the saddest expression and Christine felt her heart clench.

"Fine."

A triumphant smile spread across the ballerina's face as she jumped for joy.

Christine couldn't help but smile at the sight.

_Damn it, she is too adorable._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Music pumped through the air. Strobe lights flickered from the ceiling. Bodies were twisting and grinding against each other. Meg was having the time of her life as she danced across a very handsome guy. The man had dark red hair and charming green eyes. He was even a great dancer to boot.

Unfortunately, her legs protested and she needed to rest. Meg informed her partner that she was going back to her group. The man introduced himself as Ethan and asked if he and his pal Adam could join them. After a moment, Meg agreed. The ballerina scanned around the room and found her friends.

The two dancers were resting. Jammes had her eyes closed as she tried to regain energy.

And Christine...was just sitting there. Meg knew she couldn't be tired. The brunette only went onto the floor once, and that was for twenty minutes. She had spent most of the night hiding in the corner and sipping her soda.

Meg walked over and introduced them to her new company.

"Hey Jammes, Sorelli, and Christine."

Jammes opened her eyes groggily and immediately sat up when she saw the men. Sorelli smiled and greeted them.

"This is Adam" she said as she pointed to the blonde one, "and this is Ethan. They wanted to hang out with us. Is that okay with you ladies?"

"Very," Jammes purred.

"That would be nice." replied Sorelli.

The ballerina received no response from Christine. Meg glanced at the brunette and noticed that she was staring at Adam.

"Christine?" Meg prodded.

The silent woman shook her head as if trying to clear it.

"Oh! S-sure." Christine stammered and sunk in her chair in embarrassment. She kept her eyes focused on her soda.

The blonde haired man chuckled at her reaction. Ethan grinned.

"I think I'll go get us some drinks." Ethan whispered into Meg's ear. She nodded and he left.

An idea formed in the ballerina's head.

"Hey Christine, why don't you dance with Adam? You seem to have plenty of energy." she winked at the brunette. Christine's face became as red as a tomato.

"N-no. I can't. I really don't have that much energy." she protested. Meg raised an eyebrow.

"You barely danced for five minutes. Go have some exercise."

"**No! I can't!**"

The group flinched as Christine raised her voice. She saw their faces and lowered her voice to a whisper.

"I'm sorry, but I can't dance. I...I need to go to the bathroom." she said as she abruptly made her escape. The group watched her go with confusion apparent on their faces.

Meg took note and sighed.

"Sorry guys, she is really shy." the ballerina smiled apologetically.

"Everyone is different I guess." Adam shrugged and turned to Sorelli. "Would you like to dance with me?" He held out his hand and she accepted. They both went on to the dance floor.

Meg observed them and heard Jammes groan.

"Man, how the hell did you become friends with that chick?"

The blonde ballerina couldn't help but frown.

"Why wouldn't I be friends with her?"

The woman gave Meg a quizzical look. "You're kidding me, right? She is annoying to hang out with!"

Meg felt anger bubble up in her chest and restrained herself.

_Must resist the urge to throttle her!_

She took a deep breath and answered her. "Christine isn't annoying, she is introverted. Just because she is shy doesn't mean that she is not an amazing person." she explained.

"No, her shyness is not the problem here Meg." Jammes sighed. "Look, I know her type very well. She isn't just "shy". You probably see her as some charity project that you "have" to help. But the truth of the matter is that she will never get better_._ She is very _needy._ You are her crutch, and she will continue to just use you until there is nothing left for you to give." Jammes faced Meg with determined eyes. "She is going to end up dragging you down, Meg. Christine is _not_ some poor little introverted girl. She isn't just shy, it's more like she dislikes people in general. She is a **parasite **and you should ditch her as soon as possible."

Meg replied back with a slap.

"What the hell?" Jammes angrily shouted.

"_I'm_ the one who should be asking that! You're the one who is sitting there and insulting my best friend. Fuck you."

Meg walked away as fury swirled in her mind.

How dare she say those things about Christine! She wasn't a parasite! Christine is a good friend. Meg couldn't understand why people looked down on her so much. Jammes looked down at her. Everyone in their high school looked down at her! Meg faltered a bit as she continued the train of thought.

Even she herself had looked down at her.

Meg flinched as she thought back to such a time.

* * *

**3 years ago**

_Meg laughed as her boyfriend kissed her on the cheek, but she still pushed him away._

_"As much as I would like to, I can't go with you guys."  
_

_Rick groaned. "Why not? You should just ditch with us." _

_"No, my mom is a hawk. She keeps track of all of my attendances. The woman would murder me if I missed a single day."_

_"Man, your mom is crazy," Sara commented. _

_She sighed. "Tell me about it. Really, it's like she-"_

_The blonde was not able to finish her sentence when a certain brunette crashed into her. Numerous books fell out of Christine's arms and hit the ballerina's feet._

_"Shit! Watch where you're going!"_

_Christine quickly knelt down and picked up her books. She stammered out apologies while she worked on her task. _

_"S-s-sorry. I-I di-didn't me-mean t-to." she stuttered._

_Meg sighed as she watched the frightened girl. "Stop having a panic attack. I'm not part of the mafia or whatever. Just pay attention next time."_

_"O-oh, o-okay." the brunette continued to stammer.  
_

_"Can you even speak English?" Sara questioned and the brunette's face turned red with embarrassment._

_"I-I c-can."_

_Sara raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"_

_Meg ignored her friend's taunts and looked down at the books. "Why are you carrying so many picture books anyway?"_

_The brunette shifted uneasily and Rick started to laugh._

_"Wow, you have reached a new low, Christine. How the hell did you manage to graduate elementary school?" the football player mocked.  
_

_"Sh-shut up! I'm surprised you can even read picture books! You stupid fop!"_

_Rick snorted. "Fop? Really? What kind of a lame insult is that?"_

_Meg thought for a moment. "I think it means someone who is very vain." _

_"Really? That's pathetic." the football player replied. Christine turned to an even brighter red._

_"W-well, at least I am not a fake like you!" she shouted and then quickly fled. Rick watched her escape with narrowed eyes._

_"That chick is fucking weird." Sara stated as she saw her disappear down the hall. Meg glanced at her friend._

_"She wasn't that bad. I think she has a disability or something."_

_"No, Sara's right, Christine is a mess," Rick said in a strange tone._

_Meg raised an eyebrow. "You know her?"_

_He sighed. "Unfortunately, I do. She's my neighbor and her dad is friends with my parents."_

_Sara looked up at him. "Wow, that must suck. Do your parents make you spend time with her?" _

_He paused for a moment as he thought and answered. "Yeah, and it's fucking creepy. She never talks and is always off in her own imaginary world." _

_Meg frowned. "Is she getting help?" _

_A nervous expression flitted across Sara's face._

_"Wait, is she a psycho? Do you think she'll pull a Carrie on us? Oh god, I'm on the prom committee. I am required to go."_

_Meg gave her a skeptical look. "Oh, come on. She might have issues, but I don't think she's that crazy." the ballerina replied._

_Rick gave the girls a mock solemn expression._

_"I wouldn't dismiss her that quickly. I'd be surprise if she _didn't_ go insane. I'm just waiting for the day when she comes in with a bunch of guns and starts killing everyone." he said as he tried to keep the amusement out of his voice._

_Meg slapped his arm. "Rick! You shouldn't joke about that!"_

_He simply chuckled and glanced over to Sara._

_"Relax. There's no need to get worried. She's just a harmless weirdo."_

_He grinned back at Meg and she couldn't help but laugh. The three proceeded to switch onto other subjects as they walked down the halls._

_And that was the last time Meg had spared a thought for the strange brunette...That was until her world came crashing down._

* * *

Meg clenched her hands as the memories washed over her.

_I'm so sorry, Christine._

Back then she didn't know. She had no idea who she really should have been scared of. If it hadn't been for the "freak", she probably wouldn't be here today.

Meg drowned in her thoughts and was startled when someone put a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Ethan standing there.

He watched her with concern.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Meg sighed.

"No."

* * *

A dim light hung overhead as the masked man worked on one of his many projects. He was currently on the testing phase for this specific one.

Erik carefully poured the clear liquid chemical into a small bowl. He placed the container into a cage and observed. A rat with a broken leg and numerous cuts all over its body came limping out of the tiny hut. The animal glanced about curiously before setting its eyes on the bowl. It walked over and cautiously sniffed the contents. After a moment, the rat drank the liquid.

The changes occurred slowly. Over the course of several hours the rat began to heal at a quicker rate. Its injuries closed. The rat stopped limping and the scars vanished. After a while, even its fur began to shine. It looked healthier and more robust than it has ever been in its entire life.

And then something went wrong.

Erik cursed as he went to get cleaning supplies for the blood splattered cage. When he came back, a dark haired woman stood next to his experiment. She stared at the torn remains of the rat with amusement.

"This is quite marvelous Erik. It's no wonder Hoffman has taken to calling you Raven. You are very much a symbol of death."

The masked man scoffed. "How incredibly dull, Madame Farrar. Are we really going to go with avian themed code names?"

The dark haired woman grinned.

"Well, it's not like you have ever given Hoffman your _actual_ name. He's gotten sick of referring to you as Opera Ghost. Apparently some of his staff has been giving him some weird looks. If it makes you feel any better, he has taken to calling me Crow."

He watched as she poked the carcass with her nail.

"Really? I wonder why he'd name you as such?" he questioned with sarcasm. "So, what does the imbecile call himself then? Peacock?"

Farrar chuckled. "That's perfect. I don't know what he prefers, but I think I'll take your idea." She frowned as she observed the corpse before her. "How did you kill this one? The marks seems to be from its own claws..."

Erik sighed.

"It wasn't on purpose. I was trying to heal it."

"You have a fun definition of heal."

The masked man looked away as he started to clean the cage.

"The medicine worked well psychically, but it had unfortunate effects on the mind."

"Interesting."

He glanced up from his task and his cold amber eyes met her sadistic green ones.

"Why are you here?"

She looked around his lab nonchalantly.

"Oh, I just wanted to check in and see if Antoinette has been bothering you. It seems that the pigeon has been up to something lately."

"Is that so? And where did you get this information?"

A savage gleam appeared in the woman's eyes. "You're not the only one who likes to keep track of everyone."

"I suppose so." he warily replied.

Farrar leaned on the table where the remains of his experiment lie. Excitement was evident in her posture.

"So, what are you going to do about the pigeon?" she questioned.

Erik casted her a cold look. "Nothing for now."

"Ah, so you're playing the waiting game. You should be careful though, or else an opportunity might pass by."

He gave her a pointed glare.

"Madame Farrar, I rarely play a game from which I do not obtain anything."

A dark chuckle escaped from her lips.

* * *

Christine closed her eyes as the cold water ran down her face. She was currently at the club, but her mind was a million miles away.

Images of another life danced before her. One waltzed by and she watched it play out.

_A young boy ran down a beach as a girl stood there sobbing._

_"Do not cry fair maiden! I am a knight and I will save your red scarf from the sea!"_

The image slowly floated away and another memory came into view.

_The boy and girl were older, but they were still very much children. The girl hugged the boy tightly._

_"Please don't go. You are the only friend I've ever had!"_

_He also seemed reluctant to let her go, but he had no choice._

_"I promise we'll meet again, Little Lotte."_

Before she could stop, the memory that she so desperately tried to hide away jumped in front of her.

_"Dad! Please, don't leave me alone!"_

_No one answered her as she stared at the corpse before her._

_In her hands was a letter written in elegant script._

_"...and always remember that the Angel of Music will be watching over you, my dear."_

_-Gustave Daaé_

Christine could feel herself choking. She couldn't breathe and tears threatened to pour out of her eyes.

_Damn it! I can't have a breakdown here._

Normally she'd be fine reminiscing about the past, but her father's death was the one thing she couldn't think about. When she saw the blonde boy that Meg brought along, she couldn't help but notice how much he looked like Raoul. Thoughts of Raoul led her mind to memories of her childhood. She had no problems thinking about her childhood. But then she had to go ruin it and wonder how Raoul would have reacted to her father's death.

_No, forget, forget._

_Do not remember._

* * *

Author's Note: Hello! Thank you for reading, please review if you can. Anyway, just like with Dancing with Fate, I will occasionally go back to fix my chapters.

Flight of Nightingales was originally suppose to be my first fanfic, but I ended up writing DWF first. I've always wondered what would have happen had Meg Giry been given a larger role in the story. What if she was the one who was in charge of saving Christine? As a result, Meg is very important for this story. Raoul will also have a role, but it might not be as important.


	4. Chapter 4: Stay Single

**Author's Note: Hello! I want to give all those who have reviewed a big thank you! Your reviews really makes my day. I don't have a beta, so it helps me. I'm still somewhat a newbie at fanfiction, so I know I make quite a few mistakes here and there.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Side Note: I'm always trying to improve my writing. So don't be surprised if earlier chapters have some changes in them.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Stay Single

_"Little Lotte, Little Lotte, why are you so strange?"_

_With the whip of his voice a crowd appeared. They stared at the stage with their cold jeering masks. Little Lotte looked around and was very afraid, but she couldn't back down from the dark grinning man. Before she could speak, the grinning man attacked._

_"Little Lotte, Little Lotte, do you **want** to be alone?"_

_Little Lotte froze and not a peep could be heard. The air grew stiff and the spotlight became brighter. The audience leaned in like sharks about to attack. She wanted to run. She wanted to hide. But Little Lotte had to answer, or go home and be done._

_"No, no, of course I do not! I do not want to be alone, but unfortunately, I cannot..."_

_The grinning man put a hand next to his ear and tilted his head."Cannot you say? Whatever do you mean? You cannot dance on your head? You cannot go up and fly?"_

_"I cannot wear a mask."_

_"What?"_

_Little Lotte straightened her back and looked into his eyes._

_"I cannot be different. I cannot be anyone else. I can only be myself. I can only be strange."_

_(Page 23, Author: Christine Daaé)_

* * *

Antoinette Giry tapped her cane as she walked along the dark corridors. The sound echoed against the stone walls and danced in the frozen air. Various colored doors with no doorknobs passed her by as she moved. When she got to the white door, she stopped and opened her cane. Inside the cane was an odd device with many letters and numbers embedded on it.

Giry rapidly tapped the device in a series of patterns. The device hummed for a second and shifted. It formed into a doorknob. She placed the doorknob against the surface of the door and a small hole opened up. Something inside scanned the device and the doorknob clicked into place. Giry opened the door and retrieved the device as the door automatically slammed shut behind her.

Inside was a kitchen, two bathrooms, four bedrooms, and an entrainment room. It was an apartment suitable for living. Giry looked about for a moment before a small child ran up and hugged her.

"Mrs. Giry!" exclaimed the young girl. Giry looked down and saw that the child's blonde hair was put into a braid. She smiled.

"Hello Susan! Your hair is very beautiful today. Did your mother help you?" The girl shook her head.

"Nope! I did it all by myself!"

"Really? How amazing!" Giry clasped her hands as an older woman entered the room.

"Susan, who are you talk-" she abruptly paused when she noticed Giry. She walked quickly over to her with a nervous pace. "Antoinette! Long time no see! What is the news?" the mother watched Giry with frantic eyes.

Antoinette observed her with sympathy. It must have been hard for them to live in this apartment for so many weeks, but it wasn't like they had any choice.

They would be dead otherwise.

"I am sorry I couldn't come earlier. My employer has been watching me closely."

The mother froze at the mention of the man. Horror seeped into her face.

"Does he know? Do we have to flee again?!" she started to panic and her daughter frowned.

"Who are you talking about, mommy?"

The woman glanced at her daughter and forced a smile on her face. "Nothing, darling. Why don't you go talk to Mr. Richard for awhile? He must be getting lonely." the young girl watched the two women suspiciously and slowly nodded. Susan left the room and the two women glanced at each other.

"Firmin hasn't woken up yet?" Antoinette inquired.

"No, he is still in a coma."

"What of your husband?"

The woman looked away and sighed. "Andre has been getting better, but his injuries haven't fully recovered." she paused for a moment. "Could you please tell me what is going on?"

"Do not panic. You do not have to flee yet. The Phantom is suspicious, but he still doesn't know that you survived."

The woman took a deep breath.

"Oh, god. I am so scared."

Antoinette patted her back gently. "There, there. You have been very brave so far. Just hang on for awhile longer."

The mother began to sob. "How could that monster do this? Why?" she turned to Antoinette in fury. "How could you even serve him?!"

Giry flinched at her anger. She really couldn't blame the other woman for screaming at her. Part of their situation was her fault after all. The woman was right. How could she work for someone with such a black heart? Antoinette thought back to her earlier years. The time before she joined Corvidae. She was a social worker back then. Although she saw many tragic stories play out in front of her, there was only one that she stayed for.

_A little boy locked in an animal's cage. Half starved and almost naked. He looked at her with these terrible eyes. Eyes that have seen the worst of humanity and survived. Eyes that were far too wise._

**How could you even serve him?**

"I thought he could be different."

* * *

Meg yawned as she read over her chemistry book.

"Why did I take this class again?" she questioned herself. It wasn't even a required course. Her friend lying on the bed across from her answered.

"Because you like pain?"

Meg frowned and glanced at Christine."Why are you here anyway? I thought you finished your literature homework an hour ago."

"I have nothing to do."

"You should go out and have some fun. Make some more friends."

Christine ignored he advice and continued to stare blankly at the wall.

"Hey, whatever happened with Jammes?"

Meg paused. "What do you mean?"

The brunette sat up on her bed and watched the ballerina.

"I thought you were friends? Now I see you avoid her all the time. What happened?"

Meg continued to read her chemistry textbook. "I found out that she wasn't the type of person who I wanted to be friends with."

"Oh, okay." she didn't go any further.

Meg knew she wanted to ask more, but the good thing about Christine was she knew when people didn't want to talk about certain subjects.

"So, is Ethan your boyfriend now?"

Or perhaps not.

Meg sighed and closed her book. She wasn't going to get any more studying done today.

"Maybe. I'm not sure. Do you think he's a decent guy?"

"I didn't talk to him much, but he seems alright." Christine paused for a moment. "You've been on three dates with him so far. This is the longest I've seen you with someone since..." she drifted off.

Meg closed her eyes in pain. Rick. He was her boyfriend during high school. She broke up with him due to...differences. He wasn't the guy who she thought he was.

_"You're whoring out with someone else aren't you? That is why you are breaking up with me! I'll make you pay, bitch."_

She cringed as she heard his voice whisper next to her ear. _Go away._ She pleaded.

"Meg? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned him." Christine said worriedly as she shook the ballerina's shoulder.

Meg opened her eyes and looked up at Christine. "It's alright. I'm fine. It happened a long time ago. I'm over it." she sighed. "I'm just not sure about Ethan right now."

Silence filled the room and the ballerina desperately wanted to talk about something else.

"So, Christine, is there anyone you're interested in?"

The brunette coughed and stammered. "What?'

Meg gave her the Cheshire grin. "You know what I mean. Any man that you want to jump in bed with?"

"No!" Christine turned to a bright red.

The ballerina glanced at her curiously as she realized something. "How about ever? Was there anyone you ever had a crush on?"

Meg was genuinely curious about this. Now that she thought about it, she had never seen Christine be romantic. Hell, she's never even heard her comment about someone being attractive.

A strange expression flashed across the brunette's face. Before Meg could find out what it was, the brunette answered. "No, not exactly."

"Not even girls?" Meg wanted to be sure.

"No. I've just never really met anyone else that I wanted to be with."

Meg frowned in contemplation. "Hmm...how about in the future?"

Christine froze. "What do you mean?"

"Do you _want_ to have a special someone later down the road?"

The brunette looked away. "I am not sure...The idea of having someone giving me such an exclusive love is nice, but that's all that it is. An idea. I can't..." Christine sighed. "My most likely bet is to become a cat lady."

Meg raised an eyebrow. "No social life?"

"Oh! Of course I'll visit you time to time. Maybe if you ever decide to have kids, I could babysit them for you or something."

"I guess you could." Meg carefully replied. She had meant a social life that included more than two people, but the brunette missed the point.

As the ballerina observed Christine, she couldn't help but think how lonely her dream sounded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_That could have gone better._

Antoinette thought as her car entered the garage. Mrs. Moncharmin was hysterical and furious for a good portion of the time. Fortunately, she managed to calm her down towards the end of her visit.

_God, I have a headache._

Although Giry could understand Mrs. Moncharmin's feelings, it still did not make dealing with the woman's emotions any easier. Antoinette was looking forward to taking some Advil and sleeping. She entered her kitchen to enact her first part of her plan.

"Hello, Madame Giry." a melodious voice drawled.

Never mind. She might need some alcohol instead. Giry forced herself to relax and turned to face her employer. He leaned against the counter with a smirk on his lips. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hello, Erik. What a surprise. You could have told me you were coming, you know."

The masked man chuckled. "And missed seeing your terrified face? Of course not!"

Antoinette inwardly flinched. _Does he know?_

"Ha. Very funny Erik. So, what brings you to my humble home tonight?" she spoke with a suspicious edge to her tone.

"Why, Madame Giry, I feel so offended! Can I not come by and see how an old friend is doing?"

_No. Not you._

"I suppose you can." she said carefully.

He continued to smirk as he walked closer to her. His amber eyes glowed in the darkness. "I am glad you think that way. And how are you doing, _friend_?" his voice turned into ice on the last word.

Antoinette managed to keep her serene facade, but inside her heart was pounding.

"Always busy as ever." she neutrally replied.

"Hmm...is that so?"

Giry stood tall. "Yes, it is."

"And where exactly were you being busy at?"

Antoinette almost flinched at the question. _Relax, _she told herself. He is just suspicious. Nothing more. She inwardly sighed. "I was just doing my routine check up on my daughter. She may be a college student now, but I still do get worried about her."

Which was all very true. Even the part about checking up on her daughter, though she hasn't been able to do much of it lately. Of course, Meg had no idea that she has been checking on her. Her daughter hated being babied. Which, Antoinette was not doing, but knew her daughter would view her protectiveness as such.

"Ah, is that so? Then tell me what she was doing couple of hours ago."

"Why should I? What my daughter is doing is **none **of your business." she haughtily replied. That, and she couldn't actually answer him.

"Maybe so. But, the truth of the matter is that you can't answer me."

Antoinette stood there in utter silence. Everything was going wrong. Her mind was in horrible pain right now. She couldn't think clearly. Giry needed time to rest and regroup. If not, Erik could very well get the information from her. Antoinette knew what she needed to do.

She had to make him angry. Make him reckless. And she knew exactly how to do it.

"No, I could answer you. But, I don't want to talk to a **pathetic ugly** thing like you about my daughter. I don't want you corroding Meg. Your _mother_ couldn't even stand the sight of you. What was it she said? Oh, that's right! You-" she was interrupted as the masked man slammed his hand against the cabinet next to her head.

"**Silence!**" he struggled to keep himself calm. Shadows of the past were painfully reflected in his eyes. "Let's stop with this charade, shall we? I know you are keeping secrets!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." she kept her face stern, but inwardly relaxed. She was winning. He was losing control of himself.

A scowl appeared on his face. "Let's not be children here. I am not someone to be taken for a fool. You **will** stop with your lies or I'm afraid that you are going to find yourself in a disaster beyond your imagination." Giry glared back into his hellish eyes with her own ferocity.

"Don't you dare threaten me, Erik! We both know that you cannot afford to have me killed and I am sure you can assume what might happen if you touch my daughter."

The masked man simply laughed.

"Madame, I am so sad that you think I am that dull. There is _always_ more than one way to make someone suffer."

_What did he mean by that?_

Erik smiled coldly. "I hope you make the right choice, Madame Giry." he walked past her and out the door.

Antoinette could still feel her heart thump frantically against her chest. She stood there alone in the darkness for a very long time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Christine watched as the bright moon rose high in the sky. The cold air caressed her skin and the darkness hid her away from prying eyes. She sighed contentedly as she took her nighttime walk. She thought back to her earlier conversation with Meg.

_"Was there anyone you ever had a crush on?"_

Christine hesitated and her mind flashed back to her childhood years. When she was a kid, she used to imagine marrying Raoul quite a few times...but surely that did not count? They were children. The emotions back then were easily mixed up. Plus, it wasn't like she will ever see him again.

_He's a modern day aristocrat. Far too out of your reach to begin with._

The brunette sighed as she recalled how Meg reacted to her questioning of a boyfriend. Christine knew Meg still had issues with relationships of the romantic nature. She really hoped that she was getting better. If Meg could stay with Ethan, then hopefully she would be free from Rick's shadow. Christine clenched her hands as she thought of how terrible shape Meg was in when they met for the second time.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx  
Three Years Earlier (Location: Webber High School)_

_Christine headed towards the cafeteria. Classrooms passed her by as she walked through the hallways of her school. But, to her, she wasn't doing something so mundane. In her mind she was watching characters fight each other to save the world and the emotional turmoils they must have had along the way. Eventually she forced herself back into the real world as she neared the cafeteria._

_She frowned as she heard the whispers of reality all around her. Or to be more exact, high school students. Not a very good comparison to be sure. Either way, it seemed like something had happened. Not that anyone seemed to know exactly what this event was. Apparently it had something to do with some popular kids. A football player and a dancer? Well, whatever. It wasn't like she gave a carp about the social hierarchy. _

_Christine ignored the gossiping hens and scanned the lunchroom for an empty table. She spotted one near the stage. She walked over and sat down. She brought out her brown lunch bag and started eating her tuna sandwich. The brunette quickly switched back into dream mode._

_After about ten minutes, Christine felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around and looked. A beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and light blue eyes watched her back. If Christine didn't know any better, she would think that the girl was some sort of barbie doll that came to life. Yet, upon seeing her, the brunette could tell something was wrong. There were shadows under her eyes and her stance was closed off. It was as if she was afraid that someone was going to hurt her. Christine could tell she was very nervous by the way she kept biting her lip_.

_"Yo-your lips will bleed if you keep doing that." the brunette stated. She inwardly sighed. She had stuttered again. The brunette always stuttered whenever she spoke to someone she didn't know. It was a habit she was trying to break, but she never could quite rid of herself of it. _

_"Oh." she stopped biting her lip, but she was still fidgeting. "Um, could I sit with you?"_

_Christine raised an eyebrow. Why would this chick want to sit with her? From her appearances, the social hierarchy should be loving her. _

_"Sure."_

_The woman sat down two chairs away from her and starting eating her lunch. As the brunette observed her out of the corner of her eyes, she couldn't help but feel...sympathy for her. There was a wary air that this new girl gave off. Something had happened to her recently, Christine was sure of it. As the silence between them grew denser, Christine reached out first._

_"H-hello. My name is Christine." she timidly asked. The blonde girl gave her a quizzical stare._

_"I know that already. We've met each other before. My name is Meg Giry."_

_Christine thought for a moment before a memory of falling books and taunting jeers flashed in her mind._

_Oh, she was that chick. Wow, her appearance since then has changed quite a bit. And her boyfriend was Rick. Christine almost winced. She was starting to see the whole picture now...__The brunette was surprised when she realized that she still wanted to talk to this other girl. Try to comfort her at least. The only problem was she didn't know how. The last time she had a friend was years ago. She didn't even know how to start a conversation with her. Meg used to be popular after all._

_"S-so. How have you been?" she stammered. Christine inwardly berated herself. Of course she hasn't been doing well!_

_Meg glanced up at her with tired eyes. "Just peachy."_

_They sat in silence for the rest of lunch._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yes, it took them awhile before they became friends. And, in a horrible way, Rick was the reason for it. However, that did not mean that she wasn't going to beat her ex-neighbor up if she ever saw him again.

_Yep. I am definitely going to stay single._

Christine turned around to walk back to her dorm and was met with opposition. She slammed into someone and fell against the concrete sidewalk.

"Sorry!" she apologized and stopped as she glanced up at the person's face.

"Christine?"

"Raoul?!"

* * *

**A cliff hanger! Muhahaha! Oh, and on just a side note, I did not misspell the word "crap" during the flashback. Christine back then was very sheltered and used "carp" instead. Anyway, please review! If you see any big mistakes I did, feel free to point out. **


	5. Chapter 5: Maybe a Friend

**Author's Note: Hello! I wanted to thank you all for reading and reviewing so far. Especially PhantomFan01 for reviewing. Thanks for reviewing each chapter! I know you didn't have to and I really appreciate it. On a side note, I am also looking for a beta. If anyone is interested, please let me know! **

**Anyway, some of you may have been wondering about when Christine and Erik are actually going to meet. Which is...still not going to happen in this chapter. But, it is going to come soon! I am just building up to it! Honestly! I have it all planned out. I just have a few things left to be established before they meet. **

* * *

_Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing. Her world has been shattered and her father was gone. Her golden locks were no longer as golden as the sun's rays and her once clear and blue eyes were full of emptiness. Little Lotte wept and wept as she sat in her father's rocking chair. _

_"Why couldn't you have taken me too!" she cried out to the nothingness. "I don't want to be alone."_

_Only the silence replied as she sat there in the darkness. There was no one there to answer and no one there to comfort her. All that existed was Little Lotte and the shadows that surrounded her. Her sobs slowly turned into mad laughter._

_"Ha ha ha ha! What is the point anymore? Nobody cares about me!" she stood up from her chair and went to her room. "I hate this doll!" she said as she threw it against the wall. "I don't need these red shoes or the fiddle!" she dumped them into the trash can. "And I don't b-believe i-in t-the" Little Lotte tried to finish the sentence, but she couldn't. It was the last remnant of her father left and what she devoted her entire existence to. The Angel Of Music had her soul. _

_"I-I don't b-believe in t-the An-" she stopped as she heard the most beautiful melody she has ever heard dance in her ears. That music! Could it be? She frantically ran out of her house and followed the music. Little Lotte walked past the trees, jumped over the logs, and brushed past the bushes until she finally came to a clearing. _

_The music still sounded like it was very far away, but before she could move any further she felt a hand clasp her shoulder._

_"Are you alright, Miss?" _

_Lotte turned around and came face to face with a young boy her age with blonde hair and pure blue eyes. He wore a sturdy armor with a sword dangling from his hip. _

_"Do you know where the music is coming from?"_

_The young boy frowned. "No, there wasn't any music here Miss. Do you need help?"_

_Little Lotte was about to argue, but then she noticed that his armor depicted a symbol that seemed very familiar to her. "Who are you anyway?"_

_The boy puffed out his chest. "I am Aorlu, a knight in training! Do not cry, Miss! Do you need my help?"_

_She was about to reply, but then she noticed something._

_The music was no longer playing._

_(Page 5. Author: Christine Daae)_

* * *

_"_Raoul? Is that really you?" Christine exclaimed. The young man grinned and hugged her.

"Yep! It sure is! I am so glad to see you again."

Her heart was beating frantically and she hugged him back tightly. "I didn't think we would ever meet again." Tears threaten to pour out of her eyes. He took a step away from her and kept a grip on her shoulders.

"Did you really think I wouldn't keep my promise to you? I am, after all, a knight." he spoke with amusement. Her eyes dimmed a little with a mention of the past. Raoul took a notice and frowned. "Is something the matter Little Lotte?"

"Sorry Raoul. It-it's just that my dad died-" her voice broke and tears slipped down her cheek. Raoul hugged her again and patted her back.

"What? Oh god, I am so sorry Christine. I didn't mean to bring up any terrible memories." he asked with an apologetic tone. Christine wiped the tears away from her face and shook her head.

"No! I'm fine! I'm fine..."

"I-." he couldn't seem to find the words and instead reached out to pat her back.

Christine forced smiled and looked up at him. "So, how did you find me exactly? You haven't been stalking me have you?"

His face turned to a bright red. "N-no! My brother is donating a lot of money to Leroux University and brought me along for the trip." He paused for a moment and his voice softened. "I was just walking when I saw this beautiful young woman wandering around and realized it was you."

"That is so corny, Raoul." Christine chided as she blushed. "But still, that is really amazing. I thought there would be no chances whatsoever to see you again."

"I think it's fate." Raoul stated. "So, let me guess. You are a vocal major correct?"

"Um, no." Christine replied as she shifted awkwardly. Raoul furrowed his eyebrows.

"Really? But I thought you loved to sing and you had an amazing voice even when we were children."

She sighed. "Things have changed, Raoul. I lost my voice three years ago." Christine looked away from him. She could feel the shock and pity radiating from him.

"I am so sorry." he sighed. "I seem to be only good at bringing up bad memories."

"No, we haven't seen each other for a long time. There is no way you could have known." She took a breath. "Anyway, how have you been?" she asked as she tried to change the topic.

"I've been fine. I am taking a gap year. Right now I am not too sure what I want to do. Lately I've been looking into going to the navy, but it's not a set thing." Raoul paused for a moment. "What about you? If you are not majoring in music, what are you doing?"

"Me? Well, I am double majoring in English and art. I want to write children books in the future."

Raoul grinned. "Really? That is pretty cool! I remember that you were amazing at telling stories. You used to terrify me with your dark tales of the north."

Christine chuckled. "Aren't you the one who is supposed to be the knight? How are you going to save the fair maidens if you get scared by everything?"

"Hey, those goblins are pretty fucking terrifying."

Christine smiled and they continued to talk as the night wore on.

* * *

The masked man sat down at his desk and began typing on his computer. His office was fairly large, yet had little to no furnishings in it. There was only a leather couch and an expensive coffee table to fill the space. Large glass panels covered a portion of his office and a wonderful view of the city could be seen through it.

Erik was so absorbed in his task that he almost missed the sounds of footsteps approaching his door. He continued to stare at the screen and two minutes later a knock could be heard from the door. He still did not give a glance as the woman walked in and situated herself on his couch. Her green eyes watched him and then she sighed. Honestly, sometimes the man could really be stubborn.

"So, how did the confrontation with the pigeon go?"

Finally, the man glanced up from his task and gave her a pointed glare. "It is none of your business, Madame. Don't you have better things to do other than be nosy?"

Farrar raised an eyebrow. "No need to be so testy, Erik. I was just wondering if you needed my assistance?"

Erik stopped his typing and watched her carefully. "You seem to have a strange fascination with Madame Giry. Is there any particular reason why?"

She shrugged. "Eh, she has been getting on my nerves for awhile. Always walking about like she is so important. I've been thinking someone should take her down a peg, or maybe just throw the peg into the fire."

The masked man continued to watch her warily as he thought about what she said. "She is too closely connected to the company to be killed right now."

"But later...?" she said with a hint of amusement.

"I'd rather not. I am hoping to try and regain her cooperation." he stated and looked away.

Inwardly, Farrar seethed. The relationship that the pigeon had with this man annoyed her to no end. Although she has the privilege of at least knowing his name, there was far more about him that she had no clue about that the Giry woman had access to."Ah, I see." she forced a smile on her face. "Have you considered using her daughter against her?"

"I can't."

The dark haired woman furrowed her eyebrows. "Why not? I have seen you use the tactic before."

Erik paused for a moment as the gears of his mind turned. Different futures appeared before his eyes and he carefully picked out his next words. "Megan Giry is an entirely different matter. Let us just say that she has a "guardian angel" protecting her."

Farrar contemplated on what he said. "But this protection doesn't extend to her mother?"

"To an extent, but not as much." he replied.

The dark haired woman turned his words over carefully in her mind. Who was this person that could make the Phantom back off? Farrar inwardly grinned. Now she _had _to find out more.

"So, who is this person you are referring to?"

* * *

Meg felt a chill go up her spine as she looked out of her window. A worried expression was glued to her face.

_Where is Christine?_

Hours after their discussion, the brunette went out for her nightly walk and she hasn't returned since. Meg was starting to feel the inklings of fear creep into her chest.

S_omething must be wrong. She never takes this long to come back. _

Meg grabbed a jacket and headed out. Within a block she found her. Or rather, _them. _Her eyes widened as she was greeted to a sight of Christine and some handsome young man sitting on a bench and laughing together. If she didn't know any better, she would think they were a couple. But, considering that this was _Christine..._

_"_Hey Christine! Are you alright?"

The duo was startled out of their conversation. The brunette abruptly stood up.

"Oh, I am so sorry Raoul. I lost track of time and made you sit out here for a such a long time."

Meg cocked an eyebrow. Raoul? She's already on a first name basis with this guy? And to top it off, Christine seemed to be talking comfortably around this Raoul. She usually stutters like hell around everyone else, with an exception to Meg herself.

Raoul gave a deep bow and held Christine's hand. "No, it is I who should apologize. I was the one who started the conversation after all. A fair maiden such as yourself shouldn't be out this late at night." he gave a light kiss to her hand. "It would be my great honor if you would allow me to escort you back to your dorm."_  
_

"Well, it depends, mister knight. Do you think you have the guts to brave the sidewalks?" Christine teased.

_What the fucking hell?_ Meg stared bewilderingly at the two of them. Is she dreaming? She must be! Christine is _hanging _out with a _boy_ and is flirting with him!

"I will protec-" he started to say before Meg abruptly interrupted him.

"Okay, who the hell are you?!"

The young man paused and looked at her as if he just noticed she was there. "Hello, sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Raoul de Chagny. Are you Christine's friend?" he gave her a sheepish smile.

Meg narrowed her eyes at him. She could tell that this guy was weirdo. He might even be trying to take advantage of Christine! And, Christine being the naive girl she is, probably had no clue whatsoever.

"Yes. And what were you doing?"

His smile drooped as he notice her discontent. "We were just talking. Honestly! Christine and I were childhood friends."

"Really?" She inquired suspiciously.

"We were friends back in elementary school," Christine confirmed.

Meg looked at her in astonishment with a twinge of hurt. _Christine had friends before?_ Meg almost slapped herself for having such a thought. But, she couldn't help it. She never saw Christine hang out with anyone else other than her nor had she ever mention any friends. Meg just sort of assumed that she was her first one. Why had she never told her?

Christine saw her tense up and touched her arm. "I'm sorry that I made you so worried." she looked back to the blonde haired man. "Hey Raoul, I'll see you tomorrow."

A queasy feeling stirred in Meg's stomach as she heard Christine's words. She couldn't understand why though.

"Are you sure, Little Lotte?" she nodded and he resigned himself. "Goodbye then and I hope you two have a nice night." he waved and walked back to his place.

Meg did not say a word as they went back to their room. When Christine opened the door, Meg simply went over to her closet to find some medicine. The brunette frowned at her friend's silence.

"Are you alright, Meg?" Christine questioned.

Meg paused in her actions and sighed. "Why didn't you te-" she sighed. "Never mind. I am just tired and need some rest." Christine watched her for a moment longer and then nodded.

"Alright then. I am going to take a shower. Good night." she said and then left.

Meg collapsed on her bed. Why was she feeling so upset? The fact that Christine didn't tell her about some old distant friend wasn't really such a terrible act. She knew that there were some people in her past she never told Christine about. Still, she couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling she had. Maybe it was because of that guy. He looked like one of those shallow rich types...

That's it! Maybe that was the reason why she felt upset! Even if he was a childhood friend, he might still have plans to take advantage of Christine or something.

Meg made a vow to herself. She would watch Raoul and make sure he doesn't hurt her. After all, if it wasn't for Christine, life in the last two years of high school would have been an utter nightmare.

* * *

**3 years ago**

_Meg sighed as she took her gym clothes out. Everyone else in the locker room was ignoring her. Not even Sara talked to her anymore. Her relationship with Rick has utterly fallen apart. In the beginning it was nice. Sure, he could be a jerk sometimes, but he could be sweet when he wanted to. But as their relationship went on, he changed.__ She closed her eyes as a memory flashed through her mind._

**_"You listen to me, you little bitch. You do as I say, or I will make sure no one would ever want to go near you again."_**

_Meg shook her head and tried to force his voice out. It still wasn't easy for her. It was the first relationship she ever had. There were lots of things she let him get away with as a result. After she finished changing she headed towards the entrance. Before she could get out, five girls stopped her. One of them was Sara. _

_"Hey, could you get out of the way? I need to go to gym." _

_Her ex-friend refused to move. "Too bad. Looks like you are going to miss gym today you whore."_

_Meg winced at the insult. Yes, right after she broke up with him, he moved quickly to paint a little picture of how crazy and slutty she was. How he was the poor innocent boyfriend who tried to keep it all together despite having such a terrible girlfriend. _

_"Look, Sara. Rick was lying about-"_

_"Shut up! I don't want to hear it. Do you know how annoying you are? Always being little miss perfect. Now you are not **anything**." she spoke with intense anger as the group surrounded her. "Now-"_

_"H-hello? W-what are you guys doing? G-gym has started!" exclaimed a quivering voice. They all turned to see a young brunette standing in the doorway._

_"Oh god, it's the weird chick" murmured one of the girls. Sara cocked an eyebrow._

_"Hey, this is none of your business. Get out now."_

_The brunette simply crossed her arms. "N-no! Gym has started an-and you shouldn't ditch class!" _

_Meg couldn't help but let out a small giggle. She really appreciated that Christine was trying to help her, even if she didn't know why she would do so, but the brunette sounded so adorably dorky right now. Sara glared back at Meg and slapped her._

_"Shut up, you bitch!" she glanced back at Christine. "If you aren't going to leave, then would you like to join us?" the other girls took her by the arms and shoved her against the lockers next to Meg. She winced in pain, but looked back up at Sara._

_"W-why are you doing this? What do you have against Meg?"_

_"It is none of your business!"_

_Christine observed her carefully. "A-are you angry at her because of Rick? Did Rick tell you that he always loved you, but Meg confused him and got him wrapped around her fingers?"_

What? _Meg thought in confusion. That was ridiculous! But as she glanced back at Sara, she could see that she was gaping like a fish._

_"H-how did you..." she looked so lost that Meg actually felt some pity for her._

_"Y-you were her friend, weren't you? You are a terrible one. You should have taken her word over some guy's. Especially Rick's. He always lies. It's never his fault. He makes so up so many predictable excuses that even _I _can figure out what they are."_

_Meg could see the fury radiating off of Sara and she screamed right before she pounced on Christine. Christine was slammed once more onto the lockers as the cheerleader punched her face and kicked her stomach._

_"Hey! Stop it!" she yelled as she tried to get Sara off of Christine. Then the room went silent as a loud whistle blew._

_"Girls, what the hell is going on here?" Mrs. Bowan exclaimed. She quickly walked over and forced Sara away from Christine. The brunette slowly got up and her right eye was beginning to show signs of getting a black eye. Mrs. Bowan turned around and looked at all of them furiously. "All of you, go to my office now!" the five girls dejectedly left the room and the coach sighed. She turned around to the two girls. "Meg, go take Christine to the nurse's office and come back." Meg nodded and the coach left to reprimand the bullies._

_Meg glanced at Christine. "Thanks for helping me out back there. I really appreciate it, though, I don't know why you helped."_

_The brunette looked at her quizzically as they walked towards the nurse's office. "Of course I'd help. You needed help. What else would I have done?"_

_"But we barely know each other. I just eat at the same table as you. And..I haven't exactly been very nice to you."_

_"And so? I know I am known as the weird chick around here, but that doesn't mean I will just walk away if I know something unfair was being done."_

_Meg just stared at her as the brunette continued to walk forward. She didn't know what to say. But there was one thing she knew she wanted to do, and that was to get to know her better. Maybe they could even become friends. _


	6. Chapter 6: Parents

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry it took me awhile to update, but here it is! Just a heads up, I am planning to change the summary to better describe the story. Also, I might edit some of the details in the flashbacks. I just feel that some of the flashback scenes were off. They still pretty much have the same story though. Meg meets Christine and doesn't think much of her at first. Due to a circumstance they start to spend some time together, but they still aren't friends. Then, Christine helps Meg out. **

* * *

Chapter 6: Parents

Antoinette has not slept well since the masked man's last visit. Fear consumed her. Erik was not a man to take lightly.

But, he wouldn't harm Meg physically, could he? Antoinette shook her head and poured herself another drink. Of course he couldn't, not with Meg's guardian in the way. But, that didn't mean he could not damage her mentally...

Giry shivered as she picked up an old picture. In the image, Meg was barely three years old as she laughed and hugged her father. He smiled fondly and held her close in this frozen moment.

Her heart clenched at the sight of her husband.

_I will do whatever it takes to protect our daughter, Jonathan. I won't let Erik harm her._

An exhausted sigh escaped past her lips as she put down the picture frame. Maybe it was time to visit her daughter.

* * *

Meg felt resentful. She knew she shouldn't be, but she could not help it. And because of it, she felt like nothing more than a selfish bitch.

Christine had been spending a lot of time with Raoul. Meg knew she shouldn't feel envious about it. After all, Meg had quite a few friends besides Christine and would often leave her at home to go out to clubs at night. It was just strange to see her laugh and talk to someone else so much.

_Idiot. Isn't that what you wanted? To have Christine make more friends?_

Yes, it was...But she didn't think it would be like this. Christine treated Raoul and Meg as if they were two different worlds. She would only hang out with one of them at a time. Meg was used to having Christine available whenever she wanted, but now it was different. Christine was very uncomfortable with hanging out with Meg and Raoul simultaneously.

But, she could see why Christine felt that way. Even if all three of them spent time together, it wouldn't necessarily work. Meg still didn't feel very comfortable around Raoul. After much observation, she realized he wasn't the type of guy who spent time with Christine just to bed her. He genuinely cared for her. That didn't mean she disliked him any less. He was bit childish.

_And Christine isn't?_

Well, she was too. But, she was naive in a sweet way. Raoul seemed brattier. Meg saw what he did when Christine refused to have dinner with him the other night. He acted like he couldn't hear her and tried to take her anyway. Meg yelled at him. That prick. Anyway, they weren't exactly enemies, but they were no friends either.

She shook her head and sighed. Hopefully Christine will not decide to date him, or else he might feel even more entitled to her.

"Hey Meg, are you fine?" asked Sorelli.

Meg was shaken out of her reverie and smiled. "Yep, just peachy."

Sorelli watched her with concern and tried to cheer her up. "Come on; let's try the next costume shop. I hear Pumpkins has some really amazing fairy costumes. I bet Ethan would like that, wouldn't he?" she said with a wink.

"I guess he might..." she drifted off as they left the store.

* * *

"Raven! What is the issue with Giry? She hasn't been spending as much time on her assignments."

Erik clenched his hands and forced himself to not bring out his lasso and kill the buffoon. The idiotic peacock sat at his desk as the phantom stood in front of him.

"She is none of your concern, Hoffman. Giry is **mine** to deal with. You will continue with your business as usual."

The man frowned. "Are you sure you have a handle on this?"

"Do you really have such low faith in me?" he clicked his tongue. "I have been in this business far longer than you. After all, isn't that why you asked me to join? Because of my vast knowledge of certain _subjects_?"

"Y-yes." Hoffman stammered.

Erik turned away. "Now, I suggest you do not inquire any further or I might have to find another imbecile to replace you as your rotting corpse is dragged out of this office, Mr. Hoffman." he spoke in a cold tone.

He paled and quickly nodded. "My apologies, Raven."

Erik sighed and disappeared from the peacock's office. Through a hidden lever, he accessed his lab and sat down on his chair. He groaned.

Giry is becoming far too bothersome. He needed to go through his threat soon. It was a good thing he already knew which pawn to use. Erik looked through his files on Meg Giry once again.

Yes, he had a perfect pawn indeed. Now all he needed to do was obtain it.

* * *

Meg slurped her smoothie as she and Sorelli sat down at a small table. Crowds of people moved by as they ate. Sorelli was munching on her salad when she glanced up at Meg with a curious gaze. Meg took notice.

"What is it?" the blonde asked.

Sorelli pierced a tomato with her fork. "Are you still pissed off at Jammes?" she inquired.

Meg stiffened. "That's between me and her."

Sorelli sighed. "I know she can be a bitch, but she said she was sorry about the whole Christine incident."

"No she's not. I could tell she really felt that way about Christine."

A sorrowful emotion reflected in Sorelli's eyes. "Jammes had a terrible experience with someone who was close to her once. I know this doesn't make it right, but Christine reminded her of that person and she couldn't help herself. She just wanted to make sure that you won't have the same experience."

"Too bad. Still doesn't excuse her." Meg stated resolutely.

Sorelli raised an eyebrow. "You are very protective of her, aren't you?"

"I'm her best friend." she answered and unwrapped her burrito.

Sorelli watched her as if trying to solve a particularly hard puzzle. "How did you two meet?" she suddenly asked.

"We went to the same high school," Meg took a bite out of her lunch.

Sorelli frowned. "But, didn't you say you lived together during high school?"

Meg inwardly groaned. It looks like Sorelli is planning to keep bothering her until she gave her some details. "That was after her dad died. We knew each other before then."

"Did you know her dad?"

"Not really. We only met one time."

"Really? And how was he like?"

Meg was silent as she recalled the memory.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_3 years ago_

_"So, this is my house." Christine awkwardly spoke as she gestured towards the building._

_Meg stared at it. Considering that this was a neighborhood which had many higher middle class families, the house was average. It had a dark red roof and light brown walls. Granted, Meg had always lived in really nice houses, so she might not be the best judge of these things. Working in Corvidae had given her mom a huge salary. Still, there was this homeliness that Christine's house had that hers didn't._

_"Good, let's go in then!" Meg suggested cheerfully._

_"O-okay." Christine walked over to her front door and brought out her keys. She unlocked the door and they both went in. _

_"Hello, my dear! I should be finished cooking in ten minutes." A warm voice called out and a tall man wearing an apron entered the living room. He glanced up and was startled by the extra girl. "Dear, who is this?"_

_"Hi dad, this is Meg Giry. The girl I was talking to you about."_

_"Ah! Your friend!" a bright grin appeared on his face and he shook Meg's hand. "Hello Meg, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I always get so fretful of Christine having no friends and-"_

_"Dad!" the brunette admonished. _

_"Opps, I'm rambling again. My apologies, darling." he shuffled back into the kitchen. "Make yourself at home! I'll make an extra plate for you."_

_"Thanks Mr. Daae!" Meg said as she went plopped down on the sofa. The brunette sat beside her. The only thing that separated the living room from the kitchen was a counter. She heard the sizzling sounds of the pan and his soft humming._

_"Hey, you're not bad at singing!" Meg commented. _

_"Oh, thank you, little one." he was a bit flustered._

_"You get embarrassed easily don't you?" she said with amusement._

_Christine frowned at her. "Meg! Stop poking fun at him."_

_"It is alright, dear. My true talent lies on the violin, not my voice. If you wish to hear true singing, you should ask my daughter."_

_"Oh?" Meg glanced at the brunette mischievously. _

_"Hey, let's not!" Christine vehemently stated._

_"But, darling, your voice is beautiful. You could make the angels weep."_

_"Dad!"_

_"Hey, I want to hear this famous voice "that can make angels weep"." Meg poked her._

_"B-but-"Christine stuttered. _

_"Pleeeaaasssse?" the ballerina begged with her big blue eyes._

_"F-fine." Christine sighed and sat up. Meg watched her as she took a breath and started to sing. Meg felt a jolt go through her body as the music began to come alive. She couldn't take her eyes off the shy brunette. _

_The music was divine._

_Her dad really wasn't joking when he said she sung beautifully. If anything, that was an understatement. Meg couldn't understand any of the words. It sounded like she was singing in Italian or something. But nevertheless, she felt hypnotized by the notes. As the last of the music danced away, the ballerina applauded. _

_"I-holy shit. That was good! Why aren't you in the choir?"_

_"Little one, I would prefer if you do not use swear words in my house." The elder Daae said in a stern voice._

_"Sorry." Meg said absent mindedly. "But seriously, you should at least audition for the musicals. You would blow everyone out of the water!"_

_"I have been trying to convince her for the longest time as well." _

_They both looked at Christine expectantly._

_"N-no. I don't want to perform at school. Everyone there is horri-…" she drifted off._

_Meg raised an eyebrow. "Hey, even if they outright hate you, they can't deny you your voice."_

_Mr. Daae widened his eyes. "What?!"_

_"Um, I didn't mean anything by that, Mr. Daae." Meg tried to retract after she realized he didn't know._

_"That is terrible! Why did you not tell me?" the elder Daae asked his daughter._

_"Can we talk about it later?" the brunette shifted uncomfortably._

_The man was exasperated, but gave in. "Very well, dear." _

_Meg glanced back at Christine in the uneasy silence. In order to clear the air, she spoke up. "So, what are you planning to do with this talent of yours anyway?"_

_Christine was slightly startled, but she answered her. "I do want to have a career in music, but not right now. I'll study music when I'm in college."_

_Meg smiled. "I'll hold you to your promise then. You are an amazing singer; it would be a shame if that went to waste."_

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

But things happened and Christine couldn't sing anymore. It's a tragedy that no one else will ever hear her sing. But, the ballerina was going to respect her friend's choice. Meg sighed.

"He's like one of those old timey wives."

Sorelli cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Never mind." Meg said tiredly. Christine was a very private person. The brunette will probably be unhappy if she talked too much about her past. "He was just a nice old guy."

"Nothing else?" Sorelli prodded.

"Nope."

They ate the rest of their meals in silence.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Achoo!" Christine sneezed. Raoul quickly handed her a tissue.

"Are you okay?" Raoul asked worriedly.

The brunette smiled. "I'm fine. Just my allergies acting up, I guess."

"That's good; I wouldn't want you to get sick during your huge calculus test tomorrow."

Christine groaned. "Oh god, don't even remind me."

"You're doing great so far, we just have one more section to go and you should be fine." Raoul encouraged her.

"Ugh, how are you so good at this anyway?" Christine questioned and put her head on top of the textbook.

"My aunt drilled it into me. Made me have a bunch of math tutors back in middle school and high school. I also took classes up to Calculus 3 at a college."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Why are you not at college again?"

"I'm tired of school and I'm thinking of joining the navy." He explained.

"Ah, and is Phillip okay with that?"

"Nope! He doesn't even know!" he cheerfully said. Then he looked at her seriously and whispered. "Don't tell him about it."

Christine grinned. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me!" she paused and thought for a moment. "Why do you want to join the navy anyway?'

Raoul glanced down and sighed. "I want to prove myself."

"What?" Christine frowned. "You don't have anything to prove."

"No, I do." He looked into her eyes and grabbed her hand. "You are the only person who has ever taken me seriously. Everyone else just thinks I'm a rich spoiled brat. Nobody believes I can do anything. All they see is this kid who'll probably just goof around and live off on his parents' wealth. I want to prove that I can be something more."

The air around them grew hot and Christine could feel herself blushing. The way he held her hand and stared at her intensely seemed almost intimate. The brunette wanted to slap herself for having such inappropriate thoughts. Honestly! He probably didn't mean for it to be anything. She should be a good friend and focus on him.

"I think you can do it. Heck, I believe you'll go far beyond what those lame people expected. After all, you're Raoul. I know you're the type who would never give up his dreams."

A strange gentle emotion graced his face. "You're the most amazing girl I've ever met."

"You bet I am!" she said and put her hands on her hips. Raoul laughed for a few seconds before becoming solemn.

"Hey Christine, do you know about the masquerade coming up soon?"

The brunette tilted her head. "Who hasn't? They've been advertising it all over the school."

Raoul nervously chuckled. "Yeah…Um, about that. Are you going with anyone?"

Christine frowned. Was he asking her out? No, she's being too presumptuous. Maybe as friends or something. "No, I'm not."

"Then would you like to go with me?" he said and then quickly added in. "I don't have any inappropriate motives-"

Christine let out a small giggle. "Don't worry; I think Meg knows you're not that kind of guy by now."

Raoul let out a sigh of relief. "So, would you go with me?"

"Sure!" Christine exclaimed. This was great! Her old plans for the masquerade were mostly to sit back and eat some food while trying not to feel like the third wheel with Meg and Ethan. At least now she has someone to hang out with.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Little Lotte then ventured out into the city for the first time. She was astounded by all the new sights around her. The muted buildings reached into the sky and the streets themselves were paved in stone! But, the most curious image was its residents. Crowds of people wearing many different masks strolled on by. _

_Little Lotte felt almost lost in the infinite colors as she tried to make her way through the sea. She managed to find a less crowded space and saw a woman wearing a fox's mask._

_"Excuse me, Miss. Why is everyone wearing a mask?"_

_The fox turned to her with its amber gaze. "Oh dear, oh dear, where is your mask?"_

_Little Lotte frowned. "I just came here. I didn't know there was some sort of festival going on."_

_"You didn't know? But how could you not? This whole city is a festival! It never ends!"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Oh, poor girl, poor girl. You are lucky to find me. If I were_ _anyone else, they'd gobble you right up!"_

_"Could you please explain?" Little Lotte's patience was thinning very quickly. She was beginning to think that maybe she should not have talked to this lady._

_"Why little girl, didn't you know? You need a mask! Without a mask, you cannot survive!"_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because life is a game. A game of secrets."_

_(Page 8. Author: Christine Daae)  
_


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